Articles

Industry welcomes jobs boost for Western Sydney

01 November 2007

The NSW Urban Taskforce has welcomed a State Government call for the redevelopment of four Western Sydney sites to create new jobs.

The Taskforces Chief Executive, Aaron Gadiel, said that todays formal invitation for proposals was a win for Western Sydney.

Frank Sartor is absolutely right in seeking to get extra employment land developed, Mr Gadiel said.

Employment lands in some areas have become too expensive because of insufficient land releases.

For example, two years ago industrial land at Smeaton Grange, in between Camden and Campbelltown was worth $150 a square metre, but now it is worth $300 a metre Employment land does need to be released at a greater rate to better match supply with demand.

Todays request for proposals, which is being maned by Landcom, relates to four Department of Planning owned sites known as: Huntingwood East; Prospect; Horsley Park East; and Horsley Park West. Proposals will be received by the end of the year.

The development of these sites will boost the status of the existing Western Sydney Employment Hub as a major employment location, Mr Gadiel said.

The hub is centred at the intersection of the M4 and M7 motorways and will ultimately provide 36,000 local jobs.

The NSW Urban Taskforce is a property development industry group, representing NSWs most prominent and important developers, builders and property financiers. The NSW development industrys annual turnover is $35 billion and employs 180,000 people, accounting for six percent of the States total employment. It is the fifth largest contributor to the State economy.